Tatsuya Nakadai
Acting
Tatsuya Nakadai (仲代 達矢, Nakadai Tatsuya; born Motohisa Nakadai; December 13, 1932 – November 8, 2025) was a Japanese actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of Japanese cinema, he collaborated extensively with many of Japan's best-known and acclaimed directors. In his over seven decade career, he appeared in more than 160 films, and received numerous accolades. He was honored with a Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1996 and Japan's Order of Culture in 2015. Discovered on the streets of Tokyo by director Masaki Kobayashi, Nakadai rose to prominence starring in Kobayashi's films, with his breakthrough being the protagonist of the epic anti-war trilogy The Human Condition (1959–1961). He won the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor for his performance as the vengeful ronin in Harakiri (1962), a role he considered his finest. Nakadai collaborated on eleven films with Kobayashi—including Kwaidan (1964) and Samurai Rebellion (1967)—and five with Akira Kurosawa, most notably as the tragic warlord in Ran (1985), a performance that earned global acclaim. His other notable credits included Seven Samurai (1954), Yojimbo (1961), The Sword of Doom (1966), The Face of Another (1966), Goyokin (1969), Kagemusha (1980), and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013). A lifelong stage actor, he founded the Gendai Nohgaku-kai troupe in 1975 and continued performing on stage into his nineties. Description above from the Wikipedia article Tatsuya Nakadai, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
TV Shows(13)
A Sinner's Lie
Kenzo Haneda
2014
Samurai Banners
2007
Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World
Matsumoto Kentaro
2004
嘱託刑事･小山田昭平 旅路の果て
2001
A Son of the Good Earth
1995
Pinwheel Hamakichi's Spell
1992
Momi no Ki wa Nokotta: Ranshin
1983
Kinagashi Bugyō
1981
Aoki Ookami Narukichiomoase no Shougai
ナレーション
1980
Suna no Utsuwa
今西栄太郎
1977
Shin Heike Monogatari
Taira no Kiyomori
1972
ゴメスの名はゴメス
1967
The Human Condition
Kaji
1959
Movies(189)
The Limit
Narrator
2025
Life Work of Akira Kurosawa
Self
2022
The Pass: Last Days of the Samurai
Makino Tadayuki
2022
The Return
2019
A Town and a Tall Chimney
2019
Sleeping Village
(narration)
2019
Henkan kōshōjin: Itsuka, Okinawa o torimodosu
Narrator
2018
Lear on the Shore
Kuwahata Chokichi
2017
Great evil does not go to sleep: The counterattack of the special investigation unit prosecutor
Yohei Tachibana
2016
A Duel Tale
2015
NORINTEN 稲塚権次郎物語
2015
ふたりの死刑囚
Narrator
2015
Before The Leaves Fall
Kenichiro Miya
2015
Nakadai Tatsuya: to Live for Acting
2015
Isao Takahata and His Tale of The Princess Kaguya
Self
2014
Gun Woman
Hamazaki
2014
Giovanni's Island
Older Junpei Senou (voice)
2014
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
Charcoal-maker Old Man (voice)
2013
The Human Trust
Nobuhiro Sasakura
2013
Promise: The Nabari Poisoned Wine Case, The Life of a Death-row Inmate
2013
Until the Break of Dawn
Sadayuki Akiyama
2012
Japan's Tragedy
Fujio Murai
2012
Gaku
Kazama Shin-ichi
2012
Zatoichi: The Last
Tendo
2010
Haru's Journey
Tadao Nakai
2010
Listen to My Heart
Kyozo Hayami
2009
Tatsuya Nakadai on 'The Human Condition'
Self
2009
Through the Mist
(archive footage)
2009
Murder of the Inugami Clan
Sahei Inugami
2006
Yamato
2005
Wish Upon a Star
Takanori Wakamiya
2005
The Taika Reforms
Minabuchi no Syôan
2005
Like Asura
Kotaro Takezawa
2003
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Kagemusha'
Self
2002
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Yojimbo'
Self
2002
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Sanjuro'
Self
2002
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'High and Low'
Self
2002
Dawn of a New Day: The Man Behind VHS
Matsushita (Matsushita Denki Co.)
2002
To Dance with the White Dog
Eisuke Nakamoto
2002
Vengeance for Sale
Umetaro Katakura
2002
Kurosawa
Self
2000
After the Rain
Tsuji Gettan
2000
Jubaku: Spellbound
Hideaki Sasaki
1999
Kurosawa: The Last Emperor
Self
1999
The Life and Love of Kenji Miyazawa
Seijiro Miyazawa
1996
East Meets West
Kaishu Katsu
1995
Summer of the Moonlight Sonata
1993
Kin chan no Cinema Jack
1993
Lone Wolf and Cub: The Final Conflict
Yagyu Retsudo
1993
Wicked City
Daishu
1992
Faraway Sunset
Kobayashi
1992
Basara: The Princess Goh
Oribe Furuta
1992
Pinwheel Hamakichi's Spell
1992
Heat Wave
Tsunejiro Murai
1991
Florence My Love
1991
13 Assassins
1990
Let Him Rest in Peace
1989
Four Days of Snow and Blood
Sugiyama
1989
Return from the River Kwai
Major Harada
1989
Another Way: D-Kikan-Joho
1988
Oración
Heihachiro Wagu
1988
Trinacria: Porsche 959
1987
Hachiko
Shujiro Ueno
1987
Taikoki
(Narrator)
1987
Michi
Seiji Tajima
1986
Atami Murder Case
Denbei Nikaido
1986
The Empty Table
Nobuyuki Kidoji
1985
Ran
Lord Hidetora Ichimonji
1985
A. K.
Self
1985
Making of Ran
Self
1985
Fireflies in the North
Takeshi Tsukigata
1984
The Fir Trees Remain
1983
Shadow Hunters
1983
Battle Anthem
1983
Final Yamato
Narrator
1983
The Legend of Sayo
1982
Tange Sazen: The Million Ryo Pot
Sazen Tange
1982
The Law of Hell
1982
Onimasa: A Japanese Godfather
Masagoro Kiryuin - Onimasa
1982
Willful Murder
Yashiro
1981
Magistrate of the Floating World
1981
Port Arthur
Maresuke Nogi
1980
Kagemusha
Shingen Takeda / Kagemusha
1980
Hunter in the Dark
Gomyo Kiyoemon
1979
Blood Type: Blue
Minami
1978
The Phoenix
Jingi the Conqueror, leader of the Takamagahara
1978
Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron
Kumokiri Nizaemon
1978
Queen Bee
Ginzo Daidoji
1978
Sugata Sanshiro
Yano
1977
The Corporation
1976
Human Revolution II
1976
Elegy
Setsuo Katsuragi
1976
Solar Eclipse
Yasuo Hoshino, the Chief Cabinet Secretary
1975
I Am a Cat
Kushami
1975
Battle Cry
Hijikata Toshizo
1975
The Gate of Youth
1975
The Family
Teppei Manpyo
1974
Rise, Fair Sun
1973
The Human Revolution
1973
Belladonna of Sadness
The Devil (voice)
1973
The King
Kinjiro Sekine
1973
The Wolves
Seji Iwahashi
1971
Inn of Evil
Sadashichi
1971
The Battle of Okinawa
Colonel Hiromichi Yahara
1971
Challenge at Dawn
Tsukagoshi
1971
Will to Conquer
1970
Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival
Ronin
1970
The Scandalous Adventures of Buraikan
Naojiro Kataoka
1970
The Ambitious
Shintaro Nakaoka
1970
Duel at Fort Ezo
Daizennokami Honjo
1970
Portrait of Hell
Yoshihide
1969
Blood End
Sentaro
1969
Tenchu!
Hanpeita Takechi
1969
Battle of the Japan Sea
Major Genjiro Akashi
1969
Safari 5000
1969
Goyokin
Magobei Wakizaka
1969
The Human Bullet
Narrator
1968
Admiral Yamamoto
Narrator (voice)
1968
Kill!
Genta
1968
Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die!
James Elfego
1968
Journey
1967
Japan's Longest Day
Narrator (voice)
1967
Samurai Rebellion
Tatewaki Asano
1967
Gomez's Name is Gomez
Sakamoto
1967
Kojiro
Musashi Miyamoto
1967
The Age of Assassins
Shinji Kikyo
1967
The Daphne
1966
The Face of Another
Mr. Okuyama
1966
The Sword of Doom
Ryunosuke Tsukue
1966
Cash Calls Hell
Oida
1966
Fort Graveyard
Sakuma
1965
Illusion of Blood
Iyemon Tamiya
1965
Three Yakuza
1965
The Last Judgment
1965
Kwaidan
Minokichi (segment "The Woman of the Snow")
1965
Ant Hell War
1964
Mr. Giant's Victory Flag
1964
A Woman's Life
1963
Miren
Ryôta Kinoshita
1963
Legacy of the 500,000
Mitsura Gunji
1963
High and Low
Chief Detective Tokura
1963
Pressure of Guilt
1963
Madame Aki
Tatsumi
1963
Farm Girls
1962
Harakiri
Hanshiro Tsugumo
1962
Love Under the Crucifix
Ukon Takayama
1962
The Inheritance
Kikuo Furukawa
1962
Sanjuro
Hanbei Muroto
1962
Immortal Love
Heibei
1961
As the Clouds Scatter
1961
The Other Woman
Minami
1961
Yojimbo
Unosuke, gunfighter
1961
The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer
Kaji
1961
Get 'em All
Tsubota
1960
The Blue Beast
Yasuhiko Kuroki
1960
Daughters, Wives and a Mother
Kuroki Shingo
1960
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
Kenichi Komatsu
1960
The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity
Kaji
1959
Pilgrimage at Night
1959
Three Dolls in Ginza
1959
Odd Obsession
Kimura
1959
The Beast Shall Die
Kunihiko Date
1959
The Human Condition I: No Greater Love
Kaji
1959
The Naked Sun
1958
Conflagration
Tokari
1958
Diary of an Elegant Hot Spring
Kazuo Shimada
1958
Oban kanketsu hen
Shin Don
1958
Go and Get It
His assistant
1958
All About Marriage
Akira Nakayama
1958
A Boy and Three Mothers
The Engineer
1958
Kampai! Miai Kekkon
Kunihiko Sasada
1958
Teenage Sazae
1957
Zokuzoku Ôban: Dotô hen
Shindon
1957
Black River
Jo
1957
Skin-Colored Moon
Jirô Taki
1957
A Dangerous Hero
1957
Zoku Ôban: Fûun hen
Shin don
1957
The Shadow Daughter
1957
Untamed Woman
Kimura
1957
Ôban
Shin Don
1957
The Mandarin Room
1956
Sazae-san
Norisuke
1956
The Thick-Walled Room
(Uncredited)
1956
Love on Rainbow Island
Yûji Wada
1956
Phoenix
1956
Floating Weeds Diary
1955
How the Bell of Liberty Rings
(uncredited)
1954
Seven Samurai
Samurai Wandering through Town (uncredited)
1954
The Gion Tempest
Masaki